Latest news with #BirthdayCelebration
The Independent
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Prince George plays with Louis and Charlotte in 12th birthday video
Behind-the-scenes footage of Prince George walking hand-in-hand with his siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis has been released to celebrate his 12th birthday on Tuesday, 22 July. The youngster is seen laughing as he and his sister carry their giggling brother in their arms during a photoshoot in Norfolk, in video released on Kensington Palace's social media accounts. Footage also captures the trio smiling as they stride along side-by-side. A new photograph of George, leaning on a rustic wooden gate and wearing a friendship bracelet on his left wrist, has been released for the celebrations.
The Independent
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Prince George celebrates 12th birthday with Charlotte and Louis in new royal video
Behind-the-scenes footage of Prince George walking hand-in-hand with his siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis has been released to celebrate his 12th birthday on Tuesday, 22 July. The youngster is seen laughing as he and his sister carry their giggling brother in their arms during a photoshoot in Norfolk, in video released on Kensington Palace's social media accounts. Footage also captures the trio smiling as they stride along side-by-side. A new photograph of George, leaning on a rustic wooden gate and wearing a friendship bracelet on his left wrist, has been released for the celebrations.
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Viral Sensation Moo Deng's Turns One: Fans Gather To Celebrate Birthday (Photos)
Thousands of visitors gathered at a zoo in Thailand on Thursday to celebrate baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng's first birthday, months after social media videos of her antics made her a viral internet sensation. Moo Deng's fans gathered to celebrate the viral sensation's first birthday. Getty Images Khao Kheow Open Zoo, which is located around 60 miles south of Bangkok, is hosting a four-day festival to celebrate its star resident's first birthday, AFP reported. The first day of the celebration coincided with Asalha Puja, a public holiday in Thailand, and many fans gathered outside her enclosure to watch her eat a $3,000 (THB 100,000) tropical fruit platter arranged to resemble a birthday cake. The zoo also auctioned off several of Moo Deng's items, including a bathtub she used for $2,150 (THB 70,000) and a cast of her footprints for around $21,500 (THB 700,000), Reuters reported. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to a wildlife conservation fund, the report added. Moo Deng, whose name translates to 'Bouncy Pork' or 'Bouncy Pig' in Thai, was born at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo on July 10 last year. She became an immediate social media sensation after the zoo shared photos of her on Facebook. The baby pygmy hippo's name was chosen through a public vote, with over 20,000 people picking 'Moo Deng.' Moo Deng's popularity caused the zoo's traffic to double in September. However, people raised concerns about her well-being after videos emerged on social media showing visitors splashing water and throwing objects at her. The zoo eventually limited viewing times and installed security cameras to dissuade visitors from harassing their star attraction. The zoo has since trademarked Moo Deng's name to prevent unauthorized commercialization of her name and image. Tangent The pygmy hippo is native to Western Africa and is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. According to the agency's estimates, only between 2,000 and 2,500 adult pygmy hippos remain in the wild, and their population is in decline. Moo Deng eats a fruit topped cake with her mother Jonah. Getty Images Thousands of vistors gathered at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo to celebrate Moo Deng's first birthday. AFP via Getty Images The zoo is holding a four day festival to celebrate viral baby pygmy hippo turning one. Getty Images The Khao Kheow Open Zoo saw a major boost in attendance last year after Moo Deng became a social ... More media star. Getty Images A $3,000 tropical fruit arrangement fashioned to look like a cake was presented to Moo Deng and her ... More mother. AFP via Getty Images Children pose for pictures with a giant Moo Deng during a celebration for her first birthday. Getty Images Visitors buy Moo Deng souvenirs at the zoo. Getty Images Thailand's adorable pygmy hippo Moo Deng has the kind of face that launches a thousand memes (Associated Press) A baby hippo is going viral - and paying the price (BBC)
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Thousands celebrate baby hippo Moo Deng's first birthday at Thailand zoo
Thousands of excited fans flocked to a Thai zoo on Thursday to celebrate the first birthday of Moo Deng, the adorable baby pygmy hippo that has become a social media sensation. The Khao Kheow Open Zoo was overrun with Moo Deng's fans on the first of four days of activities marking the hippo's birthday. Children under 12 years old can enter the zoo, which is about a two hour drive from the capital Bangkok, for free throughout the extravaganza. Excited fans Many of Moo Deng's fans flew miles to see her. Among them was Molly Swindall, who traveled from New York for the celebrations. She was seen handing a tray of food to a zoo keeper for Moo Deng's breakfast, which the baby hippo and her mother Jona quickly devoured. 'Everything I was seeing started to be Moo Deng and I just loved her so much and decided, you know what, I have three or four days off of work," said Swindall, "I can make it work to fly to Thailand. I will only be there for about 30 hours, but that's enough to go see Moo Deng. And that's exactly what I did.' By Thursday afternoon, the number of visitors reached 12,000, zoo director Narongwit Chodchoy said. Despite the noise of visitors calling out for her attention, Moo Deng appeared peaceful as she took a dip in a pond in her enclosure. Fans took pictures of the baby hippo on their cameras or cell phones and sang 'Happy birthday' as her birthday cake, made of a variety of fruits and vegetables, was placed near the pond. 'Moo Deng is my happy pill, and she's my energy pill, my curing pill. She's my vitamin!' said Thea Chavez, who flew in from Houston, Texas. Another fan from neighboring Malaysia, Jennifer Tang, leaned over the enclosure to take pictures. 'She makes me happy. Whenever I'm stressed at work I pull up photos of Moo Deng,' Tang said. "So my whole office knows that I'm here .... They let me take a week off.' The zoo held online auctions to celebrate Moo Deng's birthday, with photos, footprints and a food container on offer to raise funds for all the animals under their care. They also held an auction for the honor of sponsoring her birthday cake, which went for 100,000 baht ($3,065.) Moo Deng's stardom Moo Deng soared to stardom shortly after she was born, largely thanks to her keeper Atthapon Nundee who shared adorable pictures and videos of the baby hippo on social media. Atthapon keeps Moo Deng's fans updated with moments of her squirming as he tries to wash her, biting him as he tries to play, or calmly closing her eyes as he rubs her belly. Moo Deng, which literally means 'bouncy pork' in Thai, is a type of meatball. The name was chosen by fans via a poll on social media. It matches the names of her other siblings: Moo Toon (stewed pork) and Moo Waan (sweet pork). There is also a common hippo at the zoo named Kha Moo (stewed pork leg). The Khao Kheow Open Zoo saw spikes of visitors since shortly after Moo Deng was born. But Narongwit said the number of visitors to the zoo has somewhat dropped since the height of Moo Deng's fame. He said the zoo has had about 2,000 visitors during a weekday and around 5,000 during weekends over the past few months, about half the numbers it saw at its peak. 'Moo Deng is a representative of all wild animals, and she helps everyone understand the roles of zoos,' Narongwit told The Associated Press. 'She speaks for all nearly extinct animals, and turns people's attention to their conservation.' The zoo sits on 800 hectares (almost 2,000 acres) of land and is home to more than 2,000 animals. It runs breeder programs for many endangered species including the pygmy hippopotamus. The species is native to West Africa, where it is threatened by poaching and loss of habitat. There are only 2,000 to 3,000 left in the wild.
BBC News
07-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Debt of gratitude' to Nottinghamshire Wren on 101st birthday
A World War Two Navy veteran with more than a few nautical miles on the clock said it was "very nice" to be surprised with a celebration on her 101th Redman, from Nottinghamshire, had been expecting a low key event on Sunday to mark her she was surprised by family, friends and her village Farnsfield's branch of the Royal British Legion, to honour her for all her service on and she said: "It's nice of all my neighbours to come and celebrate with me." Mrs Redman, née Tylor, served as a Wren - (Women's Royal Naval Service) - as an electrician, where she worked with depth charges and tour of duty from 1943 to 1945 saw her stationed in Liverpool and on board the HMS Pembroke and HMS Eaglet. She said: "I think it's very nice of everyone to make such a fuss for my birthday."My time in the Wrens was a long time ago now. I can remember working on the docks, and being taken out on the motorboats."All the women serving did quite a lot for the war, helped a lot in Liverpool and the seaside towns."And when it came to marching, my commander said the Wrens could do it without practising so we didn't have to - we just marched." Visiting her on Sunday, naval commander Jonathan Richards presented Mrs Redman with a letter from the First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins and a record of her said: "It's a real privilege. It's really nice to come together and support Mrs Redman."I think we owe a debt of gratitude to that generation, and we are still inspired by what they did for us in that difficult time." Mrs Redman was also gifted a Wren silhouette, and a bouquet of daughter Amanda Farr said it was important that women's efforts in the war were recognised."I think it's fantastic, lovely everybody's made such a fuss, she said."I'm very proud of her and what people like her did in the war. She and her colleagues looked after the torpedoes and depth charges, serviced them and looked after them."The role of the Wrens was very important."
